Does anyone box as an addition to training?

[Tarot]

I'm considering looking around my area for a gym/school that teaches boxing. I do not want to compete, this is just to improve my self over all. I feel that this will help my MA training in terms of developing strength and quickness. It never hurts to crosstrain and it never hurts to know how to throw a good punch! :p:

In all seriousness, for those that do box or have experience with boxing, I would love to hear any thoughts or advice you all may have. :)

Did learning to box help you with your MA training?

What should one look for in a good boxing coach? It is about the same as what you would look for in an MA instructor?

Will I have trouble finding a boxing coach who is willing to work with a female?

If you box, what do you enjoy about the sport and what benefits do you think it brings/adds to your training?

[Ron B]

hi Tarot.

I have trained in some boxing as well as kickboxing.I would really recommend training in boxing or kickboxing.the benefits are that the conditioning is really good and you get used to hitting people and getting hit by people which is very important as in a real life situation you might get hit and learning how to deal with that is better to learn before than after.as for a coach boxing is different than martial arts training as when you walk into most clubs they wont bother to coach you much before they see that you are serious about learning.basically the workout starts with stretching,shadowboxing,skipping rope,bag work,pad work when you have a partner and later on when you are ready sparring in the ring.most kickboxing schools will give you alot more coaching earlier than a boxing coach would so maybe look into that as well.alot of women are taking up boxing now so finding a gym that has women in there should not be too hard for you.other advice is learn how to wrap your hands properly and get a good pair of heavy bag gloves dont be cheap there as your hands will suffer when you get older if you dont protect them properly.

[PeteNerd]

hi Tarot.

I have trained in some boxing as well as kickboxing.I would really recommend training in boxing or kickboxing.the benefits are that the conditioning is really good and you get used to hitting people and getting hit by people which is very important as in a real life situation you might get hit and learning how to deal with that is better to learn before than after.as for a coach boxing is different than martial arts training as when you walk into most clubs they wont bother to coach you much before they see that you are serious about learning.basically the workout starts with stretching,shadowboxing,skipping rope,bag work,pad work when you have a partner and later on when you are ready sparring in the ring.most kickboxing schools will give you alot more coaching earlier than a boxing coach would so maybe look into that as well.alot of women are taking up boxing now so finding a gym that has women in there should not be too hard for you.

I just wanted to comment here too. I just started taking some muay thai. I'm not all that interested in competing or anything, but i figured it would be a great work out and definately help me with my striking. It's great conditioning and i figured it couldn't hurt to learn how to hit and take some hits. That's just my thoughts on it. All around I'm sure it would help anyone become a better fighter and in better shape.

Pete

[arnisador]

While I have never (kick)boxed, I do study Jeet Kune Do to augment my arnis, and it has many boxing techniques and drills. There are some nice parallels between, for example, the hook punch and a hooking-style stick strike, etc. I also find it's improved my left cross, which is helpful when sticks get jammed up, and that it is good for footwork.

A boxing gym is an excellent idea. Muay Thai or the like is good too. Jett Kune Do isn't as physical or as sparring-oriented but will complement your FMA techniques in more areas, including trapping.

[Tarot]

Thanks guys! :D

Pete, I definitly agree with your thoughts on being able to hit and take a hit. This is definitly one of the reasons behind my wanting to learn boxing. Learning to hit is one thing, but if you don't know what it feels like to get hit then when the time comes you do actually get hit, it could throw you for a loop! :p:

Rob, what should I look for in a good kickboxing school?

[PeteNerd]

Thanks guys! :D

Pete, I definitly agree with your thoughts on being able to hit and take a hit. This is definitly one of the reasons behind my wanting to learn boxing. Learning to hit is one thing, but if you don't know what it feels like to get hit then when the time comes you do actually get hit, it could throw you for a loop! :p:

Rob, what should I look for in a good kickboxing school?

I like the muay thai so far... you get to hit a lot and also hold the thai pads while your partner hits, which is a workout in and of itself. I'm pretty sore today after my first lesson, but i'm totally digging it. You should give it a shot.

Peter

[JohnJ]

Did learning to box help you with your MA training?

IMO...some of the attributes developed from boxing is better than martial arts, in general and for self-defense. I am a firm believer that effective defense takes longer to develop than offense. Proper footwork, body mechanics, slipping etc. is essential in any martial arts. These aspects alone can get you out of a bind rather easily.


What should one look for in a good boxing coach? It is about the same as what you would look for in an MA instructor?

First of all, it will be tough finding a coach that is willing to take someone on who has no intention of pursuing it on a competitive level. You can try the local PAL that often run programs for youth. They are somewhat more flexible. The percentage of coaches to fighters is very little and that is why, they dedicate more time with fighter potentials.

Many m.a. instructors who have boxing / kickboxing programs within their curriculum can offer decent coaching for what your looking for. They can help you develop a basic foundation and should know focus mitt training. The conditioning (roadwork, jump roping and even shadow boxing) is self discipline. A gym should also have the minimal equipment as training aids i.e. heavybag, speed ball, double-end


Wll I have trouble finding a boxing coach who is willing to work with a female?

Male or female, finding a coach that will give enough time to someone who will not compete is the only issue. If you find a local boxing gym, ask if enrollment includes a coach as some may not. However, you can always ask if any coaches offer privates which is typically cheaper than martial arts instruction.


If you box, what do you enjoy about the sport and what benefits do you think it brings/adds to your training?

I enjoy the contact cause without contact everything goes out the door. There are so benefits to gain aside from what I have already mentioned. Here are some others: Effective punching with safety, mobility, timing, distancing, counterpunching, fear management etc.

JohnJ

[Tarot]

John, that was extremly helpful! :D Based on your reply, do you think then, I should maybe look at kickboxing instead of straight boxing since I do not want to compete?

[JohnJ]

Not necessarily Andie. I would still look into local boxing gyms and make kickboxing an option. If the kickboxing program is not affiliated with an official organization i.e. American Freestyle vs. Oriental Rules then it would be a simple matter of how much emphasis in boxing is covered. You can easily ask the instructor. The reason I brought this up is because Oriental Rules allow knees. Therefore, bobbing and weaving might not be taught and be counter productive to your needs.

JohnJ

[Ron B]

Andie
for kickboxing it would be the same as any martial arts place in that you want to have an instructor that wants to teach every one in the class and that the people in the class are there to learn and to help everyone else learn.training in martial arts in a class should be about everyone helping everyone learn if it becomes about egos than people do not learn very well in that environment.

[jennylee324]

:angel:yea, for workout music, you basically need hard-hitting euro-dance music.... nothing else does the job really. Search around on iTunes for "euro:moon: club hits" or check this link: http://electricfilebox.com/tracks :sword2:

[wes tasker]

:angel:yea, for workout music, you basically need hard-hitting euro-dance music.... nothing else does the job really. Search around on iTunes for "euro:moon: club hits" or check this link: http://electricfilebox.com/tracks :sword2:

Drum & Bass and/or Gabba always worked for me..... :)

-wes tasker

[Kailat]

Good day lads,

Sparring ie, boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, or just anything full contact is a great way to enhance your fighting...

I started many years ago in a boxing (Police Athletic Club) gym, which was a youth organized golden gloves boxing program. It was not until later that I actually had found martial arts. Soon, thereafter though I did take up and fight full contact in the PKA/PKC (Professional Kickboxing Circut) in Indiana.

Bxng, Kbxng, MT, JKD, full contact stick sparring just about anything that takes the "real-time" sparring effect is a great cardio builder, toner and coordination enhancer.

Even today when me an my guys train, we dawn the bxng gloves and mouthpieces and go at it. We live by the 4 B's. If your not "Bumped, Bruised, Broken, or Bleedin your not trainin... I am however finding the older I get the less limber I am and my cardio is way more minimal than in my youth. Even as I try to work out in cardio daily or at least every other day and run, diet, excersise properly my cardio is still not as tolerable as it once was in my younger years.

But in closing, YES boxing ie. in any form is great supplement to your martial arts... Thats just my opinion... You can't learn how to fight and get your timing down properly unless you get in there and mix it up and get rowdy every once in a while.. me and my guys like to turn it up a few notches when we clash no doubt about it.. usually ends up with one of us getting hurt...LOL... usually that guy is me. I've not figured that one out yet.. HAHAHA I think its because im more experienced and i try to show more control and they go harder to keep up with me and I don't have to put forth that much more effort hence forth I end up getting cracked once or twice by my own faults.. But if I did turn up full speed on any of them I'd probably really put a hurt on them...So in turn I let them beat up on me.. I am okay with that I guess...

"Funny story" I was sparring around w/ this police officer one day, he was kicking and punching at me, and could not hit me for the life of him. We sparred I know a good 5 mins or so.. and everytime he would throw something I would dodge, cover or just parry/counter it.. (ok we were empty hand sparring) and he started coming at me w/ front snap kicks hard, I mean like 3 and 4 at a time, I was just slapping them outta the way and on the last one he threw I SLAPPED it wrong and POW my finger broke.. I was like "OUCH!" lol...that was smarts.. I was a little upset actually because he was getting to pissed because he could not hit me, and he felt humiliated about it... of course he was a blackbelt, police officer, sensei top teacher etc...but i just laughed it off, w/ tears all the while.. and never showed any pain or anger and let it go.. i think that upset him even more..

[Black Grass]

Tarot, For students of Master Topher Ricketts of kali Ilustrisimo ( like JohnJ and myself) boxing is an integral part of training with him. My wife is an ex amatuer and currently a boxing coach. So my advise is based on her experiences. First although there is a lot of sexism still in boxing and boxing gyms, however there is now a lot of opportunity for young women who want to compete. My wife started to box late in life (in her 30's) she was considered to old by many boxing coaches but she hung in there and eventually found a good coach willing to put in the time to train her properly. Since you don't want to compete I think you will have additional problem, as coaches might not be willing to train you properly because in there mind 'if you aren't going to compete then what's the point'. They might have a class for non-competitors but it would probably be boxercise, basically glorified aerobics. In these classes they don't care about teaching proper technique it simply a way to pay the bills. This is from my experiences here in Canada but I would guess that it would be the same as in the US. So my advise is you might have better luck at a martial arts school that has boxing as opposed to going to straight boxing gym. Vince

[Matt Lamphere]

Hey Andie !

I owe boxing a huge debt ... it's one of the primary foundations of what I am doing now.

I can't stress enough, how important boxing / kickboxing / muay thai training is.

You won't regret it.

Everyone else has covered the benefits very nicely, and they are spot on.

I had trained in martial arts for a number of years before boxing, and frankly, I had no idea how to throw a decent punch, or take one for that matter.

The sweet science teaches you to operate in the chaos, how to maximize your power, mobility, and hone your perception skills. Plus the conditioning is superb. If you take a look at what your NSI training has brought you, you'll see the boxing connections to sinawali, bladework, slipping, trapping etc. Datu covers it every time he teaches.

FMA does an astounding job of giving you the connecting tissue to adhere your boxing to your range changing, bridging, adhesion, ground game, etc.

Do it. You'll love it. I'm lucky, and have access to a great boxing coach locally, he promotes regularly, has a nice gym, and has several pro fighters.

Ask around and find a reputable gym / trainer. Dan should know of some in your area ... if not ... I can ask around for you. A good JKD school should have what you are looking for as well.

-matt


"shaolin's coming ... yo .... "

[Brian R. VanCise]

Matt is spot on in that boxing is very fundamental to what he does and what I do in Instinctive Response Training as well. The best thing I find about boxing/kickboxing/Muay Thai is that it flows perfectly with FMA. (in other words they blend nicely) http://www.fmatalk.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[arnisador]

Yes, it matches very well with FMA, and everyone needs a good jab in any event!

[Matt Lamphere]

A good jab always wins the fight.

Plus ... take a good boxer and stick a knife in his hand.

Scaaaary.

I'm just saying.

:)

[DonKey]

Boxing should be a mandatory class in schools.

The conditioning, timing, power and coordination it develops are invaluable.

[BayaniWarrior]

I love Boxing. I don't view it as an add on to my FMA training...I view it as a part of it. Boxing has a rich history in the Philippines. In fact, I began my formal boxing training was in Manila a few years ago.

Boxing helps improve my hand speed as well as my conditioning. It also gives me a great method to apply hand strikes as well as elbows...Filipino "bastos" boxing as they say. :-)

My dad told me that growing up in the PI, Boxing was called "Suntukan". He and his buddies used to just grab gloves and go to other barangays and just fight people.

[arnisador]

Boxing should be a mandatory class in schools.

The conditioning, timing, power and coordination it develops are invaluable.

Don't forget the ability to take a punch--even just developing the confidence that one can take a punch. That really matters!

[PG Michael B]

I work boxing into the fray as well. I like to put the lads through certain drills that I know are good for conditioning and for honing the empty hand skills. I use the bob and weave work...focus mitt training and of course shadow boxing. I like to build upon that work and put it together with the dirty boxing elements of pangamut, meaning...entries into pukulan boxing strikes, flowing into manipulations and groundings then back to the heavy boxing strikes once the opponent is down. I try to keep my teachings to the three S's ..Solid, Simple and Smart and IMHO good boxing work is just that and definitely fits in anyone's tool box.

[pguinto]

The only boxing ive been doing recently is on the Wii ;)